For those who are curios, the blue cables provide remote management for the switches so that I do not have to use the console port. Port 0/48 on the 3550's are set into VLAN 10, of which has an individual IP Address accessible from my home network. CDP is disabled on this port also just to make the "sh cdp ne" command easier to understand when doing labs.

All of my devices are accessible from anywhere in the world too: My home router (Netgear Range Max) provides a "Port Forwarding" service that maps specific ports to each device. Users can connect to these ports using my DynDNS address, and each device responds on Line VTY 5. Line VTY 5 has been configured with the "Rotary <0-99>" command and given a specific port on which to accept telnet connections.

Now I don't use SSH for two reasons: One it interferes with some of the security labs and Two what is the point for lab work.

HeHe, those are from my CCNA days and will seldom see any activity now. I think the only time I would use them is if a lab required just one or two routers. Past that one of my servers uses less Watt/hr so I may as well boot that up instead.

That works too! Remember that you can bind GNS to real network cards and hook them up to your switches. I didn't trace your cables visually to see whether you were doing that or not!

Happy Studies!

Scott

I do actually plan to do this. When I studied the CCNP R&S (BSCI and BCMSN) in the past I utilized this feature heavily to expand my routing lab. In the pictures you cannot see it, but the two Gig interfaces on each server are wired to the patch panel at the top (Along with the Console port of the four switches: Just incase I lose connectivity*)

*The blue cables provide me (and external users**) with Telnet access to them from within my home network. The port the occupy is in a dedicated VLAN, which has an fixed IP.

** Through some nifty PAT I can provide access to every peice of kit to my old accedemy class mates.

Well right now I plan to study for the new CCNP R&S + TSHOOT exams, but yes I'm also renting time on it to some friends who are also studying for the R&S exams. It's very convenient for them to have cheap access to a fairly well featured lab for a low price. Right now we are still experimenting with connectivity and getting GNS3 to work correctly on Ubuntu but it is coming along nicely.

If things go well and I land a job in the next month I can expand this lab quite a bit more (3x 3548 + 3x 3550 EMI). I'm just worried about the whole thing falling through my floor

With all three servers on, and the four switches, plus my "Gaming PC" sat at idle, I currently draw 1450Watts~. Which equates to about 24p an hour according to our fuse box gadget "thingy". I charge £1 for access which works out quite a bit cheaper than online rentals and still earns me a bit of money to buy new stuff. I racked up £25 last week in rentals I bought some patch/cross cables with it to make everything look neat and tidy (Gray cable is ugly isn't it).

You can minus 14p off that cost just for my PC alone so the lab itself is around 10p an hour.